Curtain supporter and adjuster



L. B HARKNESS'.

CURTAIN SUPPORTEP. AND ADJUSTER. No. 407.592. Patented July 23, 1889.

N. PETERS, Phourlilhugmphnr. Wishinglon. 0.0;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEVRET B. HARKNESS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CURTAIN SUPPORTER AND ADJUSTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 407,592, dated July 23,1889.

Application filed July 30, 1888, Serial No. 281,428. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVRET B. HARKNESS, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Automatic Ourtain Supporters and Adjusters, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for supporting and adjusting curtainsgenerally, and particularly to such curtains as are adapted to cover orshade the lower part of a window, and which it is desired to raise andlowerand support in position at difierent points, leaving the upper partof the window free, though the invention may be applied to the operationof curtains extending down from the top of the" window.

It is the object of my invention to provide a compact curtain supportingand adjusting device which shall be exceedingly simple in constructionand entirely efficient for the purposes for which it is intended.

To the foregoing ends my invention consists of a curtain supporting andadjusting device comprising a casing having front and back plates andconnecting side pieces, a pulley journaled in the upper portion of theeasing over or around which the curtain-supporting cord is adapted topass, and adogorlever pivoted or fulcrumed in said casing beneathsaidpulley and adapted at its free end to bear against the portion orend of the cord to which the curtain is attached and firmly clamp saidportion of said cord between the free end of the dog and the casing, theopposite end of the lever being constructed to be acted upon by the freeend of the cord to release the dog from said cord to permit the latterto run freely over the pulley, or to allow the dog to engage and clampor hold the cord from moving over the pulley.

My invention will first be described in con nection with theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and thenpointed out in the claim.

Of the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my improved device,with a portion of a curtain-cord in position therein. Fig. 2

' is a front view of the device shown in Fig. 1, the front plate of thecasing being removed and the cord being shown as clamped between the dogand the casing. Fig. 3 is a View somewhat similar to Fig. 2, the dogbeing shown as having been moved to position to release the cord. Fig. 4is a perspective view of the cord-clamping dog or lever.

The same letters of reference designate the same parts in all of theviews.

As has alreadybeen said, myinvention is particularly adapted to supportand adjust a curtain arranged to cover or shade the lower part of awidow, the upper edge of the curtain in such case being adapted to beraised and lowered, while the lower edge may be left free or be wound ona spring-roller of common construction and function. lVhile notconfining my invention to use of curtains of this kind, the descriptionhereinafter given will be so limited, a description of one use of theinvention being sufficient to suggest others to which it is adapted.

In carrying out my invention I construct a casing of suitable form andsize and of suitable material, preferably consisting of a front plate aand back plate b, with side pieces 0 (Z. These several parts or featuresmay be formed separately and suitably secured together, or they may beintegrally connected, as shown in the drawings. In the upper part of thecasing is journaled a pulley 6, over which the curtain-cord is adaptedto pass, both the free end f and the end g, which may be supposed to bethe end attached to and supporting the curtain, passing down through thecasing between the sides 0 d, as shown. h is a lever fulcrumed in thecasing below the pulley 6, its upper or inner arm being constructed as acam or dog i, and arranged to engage and firmly clamp the portion g ofthe cord passing between the side 0 of the casing and said dog againstsaid side and hold it from runningdown therebetween. A notch is formedin the free arm 7%; of the lever, through which notch the portion f ofthe cord passes, as is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so that bydrawing down on the end fof the cord the lever will be moved on itsfulcrum or pivot, so as to draw dog 1' away from the portion g of thecord and allow the latter to run freely between it and the side 0, asshown in Fig. 3. This is accomplished by pulling directly down on thecord, and without the necessity of drawing the cord to one side, as isrequired in similar inventions now in use, to free the cord from itsclamping device. By releasing the strain or tension on endfof the cordthe dog iwill fall forward against the end g, and immediately engage itand bind it between itself and the side 0, as portrayed in Fig. 2.

In use the device will be secured to the upper portion of the windowcasing or frame, and the upper edge of the curtain will be attached tothe end 9 of the cord, the end f being made to serve as the regulatingor raising and lowering end. In this way an entirely eflicient and atthe same time a very simple and inexpensive curtain holder and adjusteris provided, all the parts being assembled or inclosed in the casing andentirely hidden from view, as well as protected from damage. Thecurtain-cord is guided in its movement over and around the pulley by thefront and back plates and connecting side pieces of theinclosing-casing. The fulcrumstud of lever h and journaLstud of pulley emay also be made to serve as the means for attaching the device to awindow casing or frame.

By cutting away the sides 0 d of the casing opposite pulley e, as shown,cords of varying size can readily be used with the device.

Having thus described my invention, I would have it understood that whatI claim is As an improved article of manufacture, the herein -dcscribedcurtain-cord holder, comprising the casing having the front and backplates and connecting side pieces, the pulley located in the upperportion of said casing, the lever fulcrunied in said casing below saidpulley and having a toothed or corrugated dog at one end for clampingthe curtain-cord against one of said side pieces of the casing, and alsohaving a free arm provided with a notch through which the free end ofthe curtain-cord is passed, substantially as set forth, saidcurtain-cord being guided by the front and back plates and side piecesof the casing, as stated.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 20th day of July, A. D.1888.

LEVRET B. HARKNESS.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR WV. CRossLEY, A. D. HARRISON.

